If you’re considering a remodel for your home, one of the things you have to consider is new flooring. After going through all the choices available for residential flooring, maybe you’ve arrived at the conclusion that hardwood and tile are your two top choices. If you’re at a crossroads and can’t decide which one is best for your home, let Act 1 Flooring of Pensacola help you. We are a family-owned and operated business that’s helped many people like you determine what the best type of flooring is for their style and budget. Let us help you too!
Pros of Hardwood Flooring
Perhaps you admire the unique beauty that hardwood flooring brings to a home but aren’t sure about committing to it because you lead a busy lifestyle and don’t have the time to maintain your flooring. With hardwood flooring, you won’t have to worry about maintenance since they are durable and only need to be swept, vacuumed, and cleaned with a wood floor cleaner every once in a while. Because hardwood flooring can be made from different types of trees (such as oak, walnut, and cherry), you have a wide variety of choices. From light to dark shades, and from styles of traditional to modern, there’s a type of hardwood flooring for any homeowner. By having hardwood flooring in your home, it’ll also add value to it and make it easier to sell in the future. The general consensus is that hardwood flooring is considered an upgrade, which is why homes with hardwood flooring tend to sell quicker.
Cons of Hardwood Flooring
Although hardwood flooring is very beautiful, there are some downsides to consider. Compared to other types of flooring, it can be expensive. Depending on the type of wood you want, costs can range from $3 to $12 a square foot for hardwood flooring. Because it has to be installed over sub-flooring, you’re looking at more expensive installation costs as well. Although this type of flooring doesn’t need to be maintained very often, it does require refinishing if it has been scuffed and scratched up over time. Generally, the softer the wood type you choose, the easier it’ll be scuffed and scratched up. If you have pets and children, not only can they scratch up the hardwood flooring more easily, but their noise will be more noticeable as well since it can cause noises to amplify. Consider putting an area rug over areas with high traffic to lessen the damage and noise.
Pros of Tile Flooring
If you’re not such a big fan of the dark brown tones hardwood flooring tends to have, then tile flooring may be a better choice for you. Like hardwood, there is little maintenance involved if the tile you have is glazed. All you need to do is vacuum and dust it regularly. The main pro of choosing tile over hardwood is that if the tiles and grout are sealed, it’ll withstand water much better. This is why people tend to choose tile over hardwood when it comes to bathrooms and kitchens. You have many choices when it comes to tile: porcelain, quarry, ceramic, and marble. With so many types and patterns for tiles, the possibilities are limitless when you are trying to pick the perfect type for your home.
Cons of Tile Flooring
Just like with hardwood flooring, there are cons that come with tile flooring as well. Although tile flooring can be nice and cooling during the summer, if you don’t install your tile flooring over a radiant floor heating system, that tile will still be cool during the winter, which can be not so pleasant to walk over. Tile can be tricky to install, so in order to have a beautiful tile flooring that looks even and consistent all throughout your property, you’ll need to hire someone who has years of experience installing tile flooring. Also, tile flooring has no insulating properties, which means the noise of anything that hits the tiles will be amplified. Tile flooring is more durable than hardwood flooring, but if you drop something heavy on them, they will crack easily. Repair is not an easy job for tile flooring, so this may be an expensive cost if you think your flooring will be prone to heavy objects dropping on them.
The Right Choice for You
Both hardwood flooring and tile flooring each have their own pros and cons, and nobody can tell you which one is the right choice for your home. We suggest that you visit Act 1 Flooring to see and touch our flooring choices in our showroom so you get a better idea of what works better in your home. Give us a call now to get a free estimate!
Come see our spectacular showroom: 877-963-8362